Foster families in Zweibrücken: A lifeline for our children!

Foster families in Zweibrücken: A lifeline for our children!

There are currently 75 children in foster families in Zweibrücken. We are faced with the challenge that not all parents can or want to look after their children. Nadine Meyer from the youth welfare office takes us into the reality of these families and explains the background of foster families in the region. According to Rheinpfalz, the use of foster families is not only a social necessity, but also protects the wallets of cities and administrations.

In Germany, the numbers are overwhelming: In 2022, around 121,000 young people lived in homes and around 86,000 in foster families, which affects a total of over 207,000 children, adolescents and young adults who had to grow up temporarily outside their own family. This is shown by current statistics from Destatis. The proportion of younger children up to the age of 9 who were looked after in foster families is particularly high here.

The reality in foster families

Care in foster families is carried out in accordance with the legal requirements of SGB VIII, which guarantees the parents of underage children certain entitlements. On average, children spend over four years (50 months) in a foster family, while in homes this is only around two years. This pushes us to think about how the system can be improved, especially as 54% of young people looked after are boys and 46% are girls. Many of these families are dependent on transfer payments - especially in the case of single parents.

• 37% der betreuten jungen Menschen unter 10 Jahren
• Aber auch 66% der unter 16-Jährigen bekommen Unterstützung

The main reasons why children are placed in foster families are the loss of the caregiver and the endangerment of the child's well-being. This shows how important such families are, not only for the children themselves, but also for society, which can make a significant contribution here.

The support of the youth welfare office

The youth welfare office plays a crucial role in this. They not only take care of the selection and training of foster parents, but also offer comprehensive support to ensure that the foster children are well integrated into the new families. Through the involvement of foster families, children can experience the stable environment that they desperately need to develop well. If you would like to know more about this important service, you can find further information at Zweibrücken.de.

Overall, the situation of foster families in Zweibrücken and throughout Germany shows that social services are becoming increasingly important. Ensuring that children grow up in loving and stable foster care can not only secure their future, but also that of society as a whole. There is a lot of potential in it – both for the children and for the communities.